Thirty Minutes Or It's Free
by Grav
Summary: Rodney McKay had a strident voice, and it typically jumped at least an octave when he was confronted with citrus.


AN: Backup entry for the swfication for divinejoker, who asked for Corona with lime, a dare, McKay and Zelenka.

Spoilers: None

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Summary: Rodney McKay had a strident voice, and it typically jumped at least an octave when he was confronted with citrus.

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**Thirty Minutes (Or it's Free)**

"Don't you dare slice that!"

Across the terrace, several people sat up in alarm. Rodney McKay had a strident voice, and it typically jumped at least an octave when he was confronted with citrus.

"What are you talking about?" Radek asked, fishing an extra pair of sunglasses out of his bag and handing them to Kate.

"It's a lime. It is of the citrus family. It could KILL me. And you are going to risk exposing me to it for some…tropical beer?"

"Calm down, Rodney." John said, reaching out for the offending fruit and removing it from Rodney's proximity. "We're not even sure it's actually citrus."

"I am not really in a position where I want to be the test subject."

"No one asked you to." John said. "And there is nothing wrong with Corona. At least it doesn't pretend to be from a mountain or the sky."

Leaving Radek and Kate to deal with Rodney's spluttering about how unfair it was that the _Daedalus_ hadn't brought any Canadian beer, John took two bottles and headed off the terrace. It was crowded out there today, as people took advantage of the sun and the fact that no one had tried to kill them (much) lately. John had something else in mind.

He made his way through the mostly deserted control room (Chuck's jacket was draped across the back of his chair, but the technician seemed to have stepped out for a moment, and given the confluence of cocktail umbrellas and Athosian flowers around his work station, John wasn't sure that Chuck's whereabouts was any of his business at the moment), and saw that there was still one person in the city hard at work. He crossed the walkway and leaned up against the doorjamb, the beginnings of a smirk on his face.

"I seem to recall that our instructions today were fairly specific."

"I am doing something important."

"What could possibly be important on a day like today?"

"Keeping the IOA from having direct access to our mission logs without the SGC getting them first?"

"Okay, that's important. But there is something even more important on the balcony right now."

"More important that stopping the IOA from crippling our operations?" 

"In the long run…probably not. But it's not like the IOA are going to be here in two hours. You won't even be able to send the data stream until tomorrow. And that's if we can find Chuck again."

"What's Chuck doing."

"You know," he said, smirk in full force. "I didn't really ask."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and gave up. She shut down her computer and followed him out on to the balcony. It was, she reflected as the sun made her squint against the glare of the ocean, a beautiful day.

John made his way over to the corner, where he had a thermal bag waiting. He laid out a blanket and motioned her to sit.

"You made a pizza?" She asked.

"I ordered a pizza." John replied. "Although the 'thirty minutes or it's free' thing didn't really work out the way I was hoping."

"Pizza and beer. What a wonderfully western afternoon."

"Hey, it's not my fault this place never invented football."

"Did you bring something to slice the lime?"

"No."

"Did you bring something to open the beer bottles?"

"No."

"Does the pizza come sliced?"

"Very funny." John rummaged around in the bag for a few minutes while Elizabeth's smile grew wider and wider. "We are intrepid explorers in a brand new universe. We'll find something."

"The whole 'thirty minutes or it's free' thing might still be in play, you know." Elizabeth said. "Although I think the longer it takes, the more it's going to cost you."

"I would barter with you, but I'm busy saving the day."

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

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**finis**

GravityNotIncluded, April 17, 2007


End file.
